Fire and Ice
by eddiehead
Summary: life definitely just got a whole lot more serious. How will the boys cope with having to grow up overnight? How does the town cope with an incident this devestating? Will time really heal this? M for possible later chapters. style/stenny/k2 friendship only, sorry for no man smex - changed to Kenny/Karen focus with other "pairings" as secondary -WRITER's BLOCK LIKE A B-STARD!-
1. Chapter 1

**Ok you smexy peeps! hopefully this will be a multi-chapter beauty but I need to work out where I'm going and when I'm going there. In the meantime see how you like this first chapter. **

**Please feel free to review, as per my other multi-chapter story it won't affect whether I carry on with this or not but I'd love to hear peoples thoughts and opinions of the story. **

**I don't think this will compare to my other story, without trying to sound to big headed I fucking love reading it still, so I know I'm going to struggle to think this one is good too**

**South Park not owned by me, Matt and Trey yaddah yaddah derp **

**EDIT: ****http tinyurl com / c829wry - you know what to do to make the url work - go view chocobollos art!**

* * *

"Come on Stan, this is ridiculous!"

"Just a little further… trust me on this!"

"Seriously dude, this best be worth giving up my night with Bebe."

"Well, I can't guarantee you'll blow your load everywhere but…"

"DUDE!"

Stan burst out laughing at Kyle's innocent yet mischievous tone but kept his hands clasped firmly across the redhead's face. He tried his best to guide Kyle around the loose footings and uneven edges, but still Kyle found himself stumbling along – completely void of sight and very unsure of what was going on. All he had to go on was a warm light breeze that rustled through his t-shirt and hair, and whistled past his ears with every passing step

"Just a little further dude, I promise"

A few more steps and Stan brought him to a halt. Stan brought himself in closer so that his chest nestled into Kyle's back and his lips came closer to Kyle's ear, still with his hands restricting the view.

"You ready?"

"I've been ready since we stopped outside the woods. Come on Stan!"

Stan dropped his hands slowly until they were resting on Kyle's shoulders, but Kyle still had his eyes fastened shut. Not knowing what lay in front of him, Kyle was very wary of what might greet him, and his thoughts were justified as he pried an eye open. He took a sharp intake of breath and his body went stiff as he realised he was on the edge of a rather large drop. Before he could call out or move back, a gust of wind rushed past and forced him backward into Stan. It nearly took his hat off too, but Kyle managed to raise his right hand quick enough to keep it planted. Stan quickly wrapped his arms around the redhead's neck and held him close and tight while Kyle used his left hand to cling onto Stan's arm for support.

"I know you hate heights Kyle, but look at this view! You can see the whole of South Park from up here. I know it might sound really weird but Wendy and I found this place a while back and all I could think of was how I wanted you to see this, how I wanted this place to be another memory for us."

Stan's grin grew ear to ear as Kyle relaxed a bit and took in the view, being extra careful not to look down. He had to agree as well, the view was spectacular! He'd never seen South Park look so peaceful. The soft autumn sunset was just starting to disappear behind the mountains in the distance but it cast such an inviting glow over the buildings. It didn't look like their mountain town. It looked like something out of a brochure, some kind of idyllic North American suburb where every day is a fairytale. Kyle let out a sigh as he turned his head slightly to meet Stan's gaze. They held it for a moment before things got a bit too awkward and they both coughed while averting their eyes to other locations. Stan unravelled himself from his best friend and ventured closer to the edge, sitting down and hanging his legs freely over the side. Kyle followed suit and pulled a half empty packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, offering one to Stan who joined him. They both sank back slightly onto their elbows, simultaneously dragging back on their cigarettes and slowly blowing the used smoke skywards. They sat in silence for what seemed like hours.

* * *

The pair reached the bottom of the mountain trek a little after 10, and the harsh Colorado air had picked up a bitter undertone that shot through them both within minutes. Wrapping their coats in tight they walked as close together as possible, trying to retain the small amount of body heat they were both still radiating. Both boys hung the silence they'd shared since the top of the mountain until a slightly unfamiliar smell started to break through the crisp snowy clouds.

"Dude, what is that?"

Kyle took a moment to take a breath before answering

"Smells like bonfire dude, or like, fireworks night kind of?"

"Bit weird though isn't it? I mean, what a random day and time to have a bonfire?"

Their thoughts were interrupted as they passed Bebe's house and were greeted with her running out in her pyjamas with a look of slight terror on her face. Even with the confusion and fear radiating from her, Kyle couldn't help but let his eyes drift down her midsection to her pelvis, which was perfectly outlined in those tight fabric pants. If anything they were certainly showing him what he missed out on tonight! His thoughts were interrupted as Bebe's out of breath cries snapped him back to a somewhat scary reality.

"What's wrong hun?"

"Kyle, Stan… there's a fire! Over in the… old town section! Passed the train tracks!"

The boys took a quick worried glance at each other and were about to turn to face the direction of the wooden shacks on the edge of town when a scream pierced the air…

"KAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRREEEE EEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

Without missing a beat, both boys took off at full speed towards the train tracks, followed closely by Bebe. Several other townsfolk had come to the doors to see what the commotion was about, and before long the two boys were also joined by Clyde, Tweek, Ike, Wendy, Butters and even Cartman! They all rounded the corner at full speed and finally saw the source of the screaming. The pack was now being led by an extremely fast, determined and scared boy. He fought back tears as he continued to scream as he ran. He ignored the cries and rushed footfalls behind him, only looking forward – towards his destination.

As the group sped up to try and catch him, they rounded the corner and saw the source of tonight's commotion. The shack was completely engulfed in flames, the roof was still intact but the doors and windows had caved in and were starting to sag under the weight.

Stan and Kyle's eyes both grew in size, but neither boy broke their stride or looked at each other. They both knew what they had to do though. They had to catch him before he got to that house!

They made good headway, but the boy didn't let up when he got to the front of the house, he instead smashed his way through what was left of the front entrance, forcing rubble to fall behind him and block his exit. The boys were faced to wait agonising minutes while sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Jesus what the fuck do we do dude!"

Stan's eyes were shifting between the house and Kyle, but Kyle remained stunned in disbelief. He did the only thing he could – he reached out to Bebe and pulled her close. Stan took the cue and gestured to Wendy while approaching Kyle's left and wrapping his arm around the boy's waist. Wendy joined on Stan's left and the four stood in front of the burning house waiting.

The fire department and ambulance both turned up moments later, but still there was no sign of him anywhere. Just as the fire truck linked up to the hydrant, a noticeable cry was heard from inside. A panicked, child-like scream that definitely wasn't his. Stan and Kyle edged closer in anticipation as a figure emerged from a side window. In his arms was a little girl barely recognisable from the soot and dust that coated her face and clothes. As he finally exited the window he pushed her forward and away from him as he collapsed into the snow, revealing his back that was engulfed in flames. He made no effort to move once he was down on the ground and instead remained still as the flames continued to creep slowly over him.

Both boys darted forward as the emergency services noticed what was going on. Stan reached him first and dove into the snow next to him, while Kyle quickly reached for Karen and brought her back to where Ike was standing before returning to Stan's side. They both rolled him over into the snow to put the fire out on his back, then the EMTs rolled him back over to start working on ensuring the wounds were clean and wouldn't become aggravated by clothing or the snow's icy temperature. They loaded him onto a stretcher and started towards the ambulance. Stan and Kyle both approached it before it was loaded.

Both were openly sobbing.

"Please… please don't leave yet. You've gotta hang on dude! Please, listen to us and you hang on dammit! You're not going anywhere!"

"Please guys, we've got to get going now! Are you coming?!"

Randy made his way over to answer

"We'll drive them down straight away. Please do everything you can."

The ambulance doors slammed shut and in a flash he was gone. The two boys fell to their knees in each other's arms as Bebe and Wendy approached and joined them. Ike stepped forward slowly with her in front of him, keeping his hands rested on her shoulders for reassurance.

Stan looked up into her eyes. Her painfully sad eyes that were full with tears but were reluctant to let go of them. She was crushing her teddy in her arms.

"He's going to be ok isn't he?!"

She sniffed back sobs as Stan reached out and pulled her between himself and Kyle. They both held her tightly.

"He's going to be fine Karen, I promise"

Kyle smiled warmly at her and stroked her hair gently. Stan looked up and down the road in the direction of the ambulance.

"Stay with us Kenny… please stay with us…"


	2. Chapter 2

**For some reason, I adored reading this chapter back. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy writing this fic as much as the last. Let's see where this one takes us shall we?**

**Please feel free to leave feedback :)**

* * *

The walls are too clinical, too straight and clean. Every surface bright white and void of any imperfections. Yet behind these walls are stories filled with sadness, guilt, reflection, reaffirmation – a while host of emotions so personal yet so generic. Stan looked up from between his knees and cast his eyes towards the lighting, studying the flickers in between the slats of metal and wire. His eyes strained under the weight of tiredness trying to consume him. He rubbed his face a few times and sniffed back a few tears before guiding his vision to his sleeping friend. He felt a quick pang of anger that he was able to sleep through a time like this, but it was quickly washed away when he realised that there was nothing really else to do. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes too.

The hospital wing lay silent save for the monotonous tapping of computer keyboards and the crumpling of paper files. Kyle roused and stretched out slowly before standing to bring some life back to his legs. He walked up to the nearby window and peered in on his friend. He rested a hand on the glass and drew a breath that caught in his throat as he studied the wires and tubes extending from his arms and face. He looked so peaceful and rested, yet Kyle knew that behind the façade was pain and sadness. He was still trying to process what he had seen hours ago, but no explanation was offered his way yet. Until Kenny woke up, everyone was clueless. That is… if Kenny woke up

"Excuse me, do you know Mr McCormick?"

Kyle turned and faced the officers standing a few feet behind him. He couldn't speak, but he nodded slowly.

"Do you mind if we ask you a few questions? We understand this is a very difficult time and we appreciate you might not be able to answer everything, but just any information you can provide may be of help."

"I just… we heard him scream. And we started running after him. And the house was on fire, and he was straight in there. He saved her, and then he collapsed. Is he going to be ok? Do you know if he's ok?"

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"Kyle… Kyle Broflovski"

"Well Kyle, we're just trying to find out if anyone knows what happened and if maybe you or your friends do. We've had a quick word with the doctors but they've said Kenny is in a coma, and he's stable for now but they need to monitor him for a while"

Kyle sniffed back a few tears before turning and facing the glass again. He closed his eyes as he drew breath and said a quick prayer.

"Sorry Kyle, but can we just clarify? From what you said you've implied that Kenny wasn't in the house before the fire started?"

"Yeah. We all got there and the house was on fire. Kenny wasn't there when it started, but he saved her. He just, didn't care, he ran straight in there and got her out…"

"Ok that's fine sir. One last question if it's ok? Who was she? Who did Kenny get out?"

"…his sister, Karen."

The officers took a quick look at each other. Kyle could feel what question was coming next, and pre-empted it before it was asked.

"She's at my house, with my brother and parents. I doubt you'll get much out of her though, she's only 12. If it's ok, could you not go round and question her tonight. Leave me your card or something and I'll bring her round when she's ready?"

"I was going to suggest that Kyle, you're pretty sharp! We have everything we need for tonight. Thank you for your time"

The two officers took a quiet leave as Stan woke and looked their way. He gazed to his right and saw Kyle holding on to the glass, and he stood to put an arm on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm going to go and see if anyone has any more information, if there's nothing else going on then it might be best if we head home dude."

Kyle nodded and Stan headed over to the desk. After a few minutes he returned and grabbed up his coat before directing Kyle towards the door. Both boys left the hospital in silence, both with their heads hung low.

* * *

"Can I get you anything else to eat or drink Karen?"

Karen stayed silent, instead just clinging tighter to her teddy. She cast her gaze away from Sheila, trying not to cause a fuss, but Sheila instead sat down beside her and pulled her in to a loose hug.

"It's ok hunny, you don't have to worry about being here, if there's anything you need or want you just go right ahead ok boobie?"

Sheila kissed her lightly on the top of the head and Karen couldn't help but flinch slightly at the affection. Sheila cast her eyes knowingly at Ike, and he offered her a smile back. She let her grip go and Ike wrapped his arms around Karen's shoulders, making sure not to pull her too close but also offering comfort if needed. He softly stroked her shoulders and she glanced his way, smiling slightly.

"You take good care of her Ike."

Sheila ruffled his hair as she walked to the kitchen, just as the front door opened. The two preteens turned their heads to greet the two physically drained teens making their way into the living room. Kyle stopped by the couch as Stan continued into the kitchen. Kyle knelt down in front of Karen and brought her gaze to his with his hand.

"He's going to be ok Karen, he just needs time to rest ok?"

"Can I go see him?"

Kyle hesitated slightly. Her look was so sad and innocent, but he didn't want her to see Kenny in his current state.

"Well yes you can see him whenever you want, but he'll be sleeping probably for a few days. If you want I can take you there when he's awake, but if you want to see him sooner then that's your choice."

She nodded understandably and went back to hugging her teddy. Ike gave his brother a smile and Kyle looked at them both, offering the younger boy a quick wink before approaching the kitchen.

"… so they're keeping him under until they can stabilise him completely. The police have asked a few questions but no doubt they'll be back when he's awake."

Stan finished his story as Kyle opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of juice, swigging it straight.

"Kyle! Use a glass!"

"Sorry mom… not thinking straight"

"It's ok Kyle, just try to remember next time. Now boys you need to get to bed, Stan you're more than welcome to stay here the night, I'll call your mother and let her know what's going on. If you want to use Ike's room then feel free, Ike is going to stay down here with Karen tonight. But just make yourself at home while you're here."

"Thanks Sheila… I appreciate that."

She smiled warmly his way before heading to the phone as the teens made their way back to the living room.

"Ike, you two need to get some sleep soon ok? Stan and I will be upstairs if you two need anything"

Ike nodded for both of them and left the couch to start setting up pillows and blankets on the floor.

"You sleep up there Karen; I'll be down here if you need me"

Sheila walked back through and offered the kids a goodnight before flicking off the light. Once the room was cleared Karen let a few quiet sobs go, turning her head into the pillow. Ike reached up and took her hand, holding it tight as he settled down.

"Thank you Ike…"

He squeezed her hand in answer as the two slowly drifted off.

Stan started pulling out the spare pillows and blanket from Kyle's closet, setting up a makeshift bed on the floor next to his best friend. Kyle returned from the bathroom and flicked off the main light, leaving his side light on for a dim glow to cross the room. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers right up to his chin.

"Night dude"

"Night"

Kyle killed the side light and rolled into position, closing his eyes softly and trying to clear his mind. The choking silence was broken by faint sobs coming from the floor.

"It's ok Stan, he's going to be ok"

Stan sniffed back a few tears and wiped his face as he turned to face the bed. As his eyes adjusted to the dark he could make out Kyle's face watching over him. Kyle shuffled over until he was on the edge of the bed and reached out, taking hold of Stan's free hand. Stan gave it a light squeeze and let himself go slightly. Without thinking Kyle pulled on his arm, pulling him up and into the bed with him where the two embraced in a long cuddle. They took turns in lightly crying for their friend as sleep started to overwhelm them both, and they settled into each other's comfort and drifted off into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok guys is this seriously worth reading at the moment? It seems to me like every chapter (including this one) is basically the same shit. Maybe i'm just getting my typical "next idea is shit" syndrome which may or may not fuck off by the end of this. Either that or I'll just hit a major lull soon. Either way, does this thing seem to be going anywhere?**

* * *

Kyle woke with a start. The nightmares hadn't stopped all night, and he was getting tired of them. He glanced over at the clock and decided it was best to get on with the day. He gently eased himself out of bed, taking care not to rouse Stan. Glancing quickly at his friend, he smiled softly. Stan looked so peaceful, so calm. Kyle pulled the blanket back over his friend and made his way to the door

Kyle made his way downstairs, making sure to avoid the few steps he knew would creek under his weight, and crossed the living room past the two sleeping children. Ike was kind of half propped up against the couch, still holding Karen's hand tightly, and the blanket had rolled off of her onto the floor. Kyle gently laid it back over her and continued to the kitchen. Rustling through the cupboards he pulled out a loaf of bread and some instant coffee and set to making a quick breakfast. Just as he slid the bread in the toaster he heard a faint rustling behind him, and he turned his head to see Karen standing shyly by the door.

"You ok hun?"

Karen stayed silent, instead clinging desperately to her teddy. Her face was still filled with a terrible sadness and slight terror, as though she didn't want to interrupt.

"It's ok Karen, you can talk to me. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

The silence was deafening to Kyle. He didn't know what to do or how to handle this.

"Come sit at the table Karen, I'll fix you some breakfast."

He walked slowly over to her and offered his hand out. She flinched slightly and held her breath, not knowing what to expect. Kyle changed tact quickly, retracting his hand and pulling out a seat for her instead while keeping a light smile on his face. Karen waited until Kyle made his way back to the counter before approaching the chair and sitting. He placed a plate full of toast on the table and collected some butter and other spreads to set beside them. He poured Karen a glass of juice and took a seat next to her, helping her butter the bread.

Kyle sighed as he watched her slowly eat. He placed a hand on her head and slowly stroked her hair, trying to offer some reassurance. She kept her gaze focused forward.

"You don't have to worry about anything Karen. You stay here as long as you want; you don't have to be scared of anything here. If you want something then just ask. If you don't want to ask my parents then ask me or Ike, we're more human than the adults heh."

The small joke earned Kyle a quick smile from her and he felt a sense of achievement. Just then Stan entered the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge.

"Thanks for waking me dude! How long have you been up?"

"Only a half hour or so, keep your hair on! You looked so peaceful lying there, I didn't want to disturb the little angel"

Kyle screwed his face into a baby pout as he said the last words, earning another giggle from Karen as Stan launched a screwed up paper towel into Kyle's face. Stan grabbed an apple out of the fridge and took a bite. Kyle looked back over to Karen as she finished up.

"See Karen, you're just like Stan when you're here. Just grab whatever you want ok?"

"Thanks Kyle"

She smiled as she got down from the table and slowly made her way back into the living room.

Stan let a sigh go, and Kyle turned to face him.

"I don't know what the fuck happened yesterday, but I'm damn sure she didn't deserve to be any part of it."

Kyle crossed his arms in front of him as he leant up against the counter and dove into his thoughts.

"Whatever it was it scared her into silence for a while. The cops yesterday asked to speak to her soon, but I can't see her saying much any time soon. And Kenny… well…"

Kyle cast his mind back to the image of Kenny lying in that bed. All those hoses and wires. It reminded him of 4th grade when Kenny was in the hospital for months. They still didn't know what was wrong with him then, but he was so sick for so long. It didn't seem fair that he's back there now. Kyle gripped the counter tighter as he held back a wave of emotions. Stan picked up on it and moved in closer, resting a hand on top of Kyle's clenched fist.

"You need to let anything out dude? You know you can vent if you need to."

"I'll be fine. It'll all be fine. I'll be going to the hospital later if you want to join me. I can't do anything with Karen around anyway, but I just need to know it's going to be ok."

Stan smiled and patted him on the shoulder as the pair left the kitchen.

"KYLE! WHERE ARE THE TOWELS?!"

"SIDE CUPBOARD IKE, SECOND SHELF!"

"THANKS!"

Kyle quickly jogged up the stairs as Ike made his way back to his room, preferring to talk to his brother as opposed to shouting up and down the stairs.

"Ike, Stan and I are popping out for a bit, are you two ok here until either mum or dad gets back?"

"Yeah we're good, I don't think we'll be doing much other than maybe watching tv. Is it ok if Karen has a shower too?"

"You don't need to ask Ike, she's living here now. See if you can convince her to treat this like her home."

Kyle left his brother to enter the bathroom as he made his way back downstairs and out the door with Stan. They remained in silence all the way to the bus stop, on the journey, all the way to the front desk.

"Excuse me, has Kenny McCormick been moved at all since last night?"

The nurse looked up at Stan and smiled quickly before bringing up the records on the computer.

"No, he's still in ICU, he hasn't woken yet but by the looks of this he's making progress."

"Thanks"

They made their way round to the ICU unit, again in silence, but both boys were stopped in their tracks as they approached that window. The same window that had separated their friend the previous night. The same window that watched over the frail being through the night. They held their breath as the door was pushed open and they stood at the foot of the bed. Stan held strong, but Kyle let forward a few tears as he made his way round to the side to gaze down on his friend.

Once Kyle looked past the bundle of tubes curling from his mouth and nose, Kenny looked peaceful and comfortable. You'd have never guessed why he was here. He brushed Kenny's hair out of his face, and the evidence of last night became apparent. The ends of his hair were lightly charred, and a few clumps were shaded grey from the smoke and ash. His face remained fairly untouched, but fairly raw skin was noticeable on top of his should and running back into the sheets between him and the bed. The IV let off small drips every few seconds, and the steady beat of the heart monitor filled the otherwise silent room. Neither boy knew what to say, but Stan approached from the other side to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kyle. Without thinking or worrying about anything, hle slipped his hand into Kyle's whilst resting the other on Kenny's forearm. Kyle stayed stroking Kenny's head.

As if the circuit had been complete, Kenny opened his eyes…

"You're really cool Ike, thanks for all this"

"You don't have to keep thanking me, that's what friends are for!"

Ike smiled and pulled Karen into a hug as they curled up on the couch. Ike was flicking through the channels, grunting at the utter shit that was put on tv. Karen was content just to sit and cuddle. She fiddled slowly with her teddy as Ike settled on a light sitcom and lowered the remote, allowing him to wrap his now free hand over Karen's hands and stop her fidgeting. She responded by snuggling in closer.

Ike may have only been 12, but he knew what he was feeling. It wasn't so much love, and definitely not desire, but he had such an overwhelming feeling of responsibility towards her. He'd made it her mission to keep her happy and smiling. He felt so sad when she was, and he just wanted to make her smile. He wanted to keep her optimistic. Even for her age she had no self-esteem and now after this she had nothing to really look forward to.

"I really like spending time with you Karen."

"Me too Ike. You're so nice to me, I don't deserve you as a friend…"

"Well we know that's a lie! I'll always be your friend and I'll always be here to make you smile."

If it was even possible, the two curled even deeper into each other's arms just as the front door opened.

"…ok I'm home now I'll tell them then we'll be on our way!"

Sheila quickly dumped the shopping at the door as she saved the phone from falling from her ear.

"OK you two, we need to get this shopping away now because we've got to get to the hospital"

"KENNY!"

Karen arched up in fear of bad news. Ike took the initiative and asked instead

"It's ok, Kenny's woken up. He's going to be ok and he's asked to see you Karen. Let's get this away and then we can head down."

Kenny cast his eyes slowly as the door opened and smiled warmly as Sheila stepped to one side to reveal Ike and Karen. Ike slowly walked Karen towards the bed and stepped back towards Kyle to give her some room. Kyle ruffled his hair and winked at him as he looked up at his older brother.

"Hey kiddo!"

"Hey you…"

"Everything's going to be ok now Karen. I'm not going anywhere ok?"

"What about mom and dad? And where are we going to live?"

"Let's worry about this one thing at a time ok? I'm sorry I couldn't help mom and dad but you know you're the most important thing to me don't you? I wish I could have been there earlier, maybe I could have stopped it from happening at all. But the most important thing is that you and me… we're safe and sound, and we're gonna get back on track yeah?"

Karen softly wrapped her arms around Kenny's neck, being careful not to jerk any wires or hurt Kenny's back. She didn't know exactly what was wrong or where he was hurt, but she knew that last night he was on fire.

"Kyle, I've got to get back and start making room for Kenny and Karen to stay on a more permanent basis. Are you ok to organise everyone home?"

"Wait, you're ok with the being home?"

She forgave her son's surprise, considering normally she never allowed friends round except on weekends.

"We'll talk about it more when you get home ok? I hope you feel better soon Kenny"

"Thanks Mrs Broff!"

A comfortable silence fell on the room. Karen had shifted slightly onto the bed with Kenny, Ike had picked up her now forgotten teddy and sat on the stool behind her, and Stan and Kyle had settled at the foot of the bed. There were so many questions to ask, but no-one wanted to make the first move. Everyone understood that bombarding Kenny with memories of that night wasn't what was needed or wanted right now. They instead engaged in idle chit chat for about half an hour, making sure that everyone could join in and start smiling again. Just then the door opened.

"Mr McCormick?"

Everyone turned to face the man standing in the door. Kenny remained emotionless, while Stan and Kyle exchanged puzzled looks. The man flashed his badge

"We need to ask you a few questions about last night…"


	4. Chapter 4

**This was going to actually be before the previous chapter, but then for some reason I didn't start writing it. It seems to fit ok though. hopefully you like the ending - i was sure surprised and excited when it came to me :)**

* * *

For the fourth night in a row Kenny drifted off into an immersive white light, a blinding emptiness that engulfed his whole being. He wasn't sleeping though, neither awake nor dreaming. He'd slipped back into limbo, his own personal space between life and death. In the real world he was back in a coma – doctors were working over him trying to sustain his vital signs. In Kenny's eyes he was in heaven, and truth be told he never wanted to leave.

He was greeted again by that voice. Mysterious and overpowering. He knew it wasn't God as even when he was pushed through to heaven, he'd never seen Him. And it couldn't be Satan, Kenny would recognise that voice a mile away. The presence had still not identified itself. It instead once again began with more questions.

"Back again Kenny… and so soon. Why is this? Why won't you fight?"

"I don't know what to do! And why should I? Especially after tonight. You know what happened?"

"I know you spent your time protecting people that don't deserve it!"

"I did what I thought was right…"

"That is a matter of opinion"

"IT'S MY OPINION DAMMIT!"

Kenny felt uneasy as silence drifted over him. Somehow, the voice always puts things into perspective – without exception.

"Do you know why you are here?"

"I'm in a coma…"

"Not that. I mean, do you know why you aren't in Heaven, or Hell? Do you know why no-one has come to claim you from limbo?"

"No…"

"Would you like to?"

Kenny lay silent. He didn't know what he wanted. The voice simply continued without concern for his thoughts or feelings.

"You are here because no-one wants you. Satan will not claim your soul because of your desire to protect your family. God will not claim your soul because he wants your work to continue. Kenny, you are here because of Karen…"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY SISTER!"

"Kenny… I'm on your side here! That is why I asked you to fight, still ask you to fight. You need to remain for her sake. She is too fragile, too innocent. Without adults to guide her she is lost and vulnerable. She needs your influence."

"She doesn't need me! I'm nothing! Look what I've done tonight if you want proof. I've lied. I've lied to everyone – including her! Thanks to me she will go through life believing that everything was an accident… she can't know the truth."

"Kenny, you know I don't advise you on that. All I do is look out for souls that are good at heart, souls that still have purpose, who aren't ready to cross over. If you understand nothing else then understand this. You are needed on Earth. You will not pass through because of your importance to the people you love. What you do when you get back is up to you."

"I just want to die. Please, let me die?"

"Not going to happen."

Kenny sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead, straining under the pressure being dealt out.

"I've already told the police it was an accident, that he wasn't involved. I can't tell them the truth because it will fall back on me, and they'll take her away from me I know it!"

"Kenny… I don't know what God's plan is for you – no-one does. But I do know that your friends and family would give their lives for you. They deserve to know the truth. You owe Karen that at least."

"… I thought I couldn't cry here?"

"You're not crying here Kenny. You're waking up again. Remember these words Kenny. Please fight this, be the man you need to be for Karen. Make your decisions and stick to them, and whatever will be will work out in the end. Goodbye…"

* * *

"He's coming to… Kenny?"

His eyes opened on two familiar faces. two friendly smiles gathered over his peaceful state. He adjusted to the lights and took a quick breath, his lungs now free of the breathing tube previously sustaining him. He licked his lips, trying to get some saliva to the corners of his dry mouth. A straw was put in front of his mouth and he sipped the water slowly.

"We thought you'd gone dude! Don't do that to us!"

He cast his eyes to meet Kyle's reddened gaze. Smiling sheepishly he mouthed a sorry and moved his eyes over to Stan who was still holding the glass in front of him.

"Thanks man. How long was I out?"

"A few hours… you went under just after the cops left. We thought you were sleeping, you looked really wiped out but then the nurse came straight in and checked you over and said you'd slipped back into a coma…"

"Where's Karen?"

"She's in the chair sleeping. She cried so much when you went that the doctors gave her some sleeping pills."

"Good, because I need to tell you guys something. And I need your advice… about Karen…"

Stan and Kyle both settled on the bed either side of him. Kenny lifted himself up into the pillows so he was sitting slightly raised, adjusting the IV in his hand so that it didn't pull. With his unobstructed hand he checked his cheeks. Wet… he let forth a smile

"He wasn't joking was he?"

Saying it more to himself, The two teens shared a confused gaze but didn't mention it. Instead they waited for Kenny to speak.

"Guys… I um… I wasn't completely honest with the cops earlier."

"What? Kenny…"

"No, please – let me explain. I don't know exactly why I did it, but I feel like I need to protect him. I need to protect them both."

He cast his eyes to Karen as he said it. He sniffed back a tear

"Kenny… please tell me your dad…"

Kenny lowered his eyes again, but shook his head.

"My phone… is it over there?"

Stan stood quickly and searched through the bag of Kenny's things, finding his phone quickly. He offered it to Kenny.

"Open the texts. The first one there."

Stan opened the text and read it back three or four times. He could process what he was reading. His puzzled expression stirred Kyle's curiosity.

"What is it Stan?"

"Kenny, what the fuck? Who sent this?"

Kenny remained silent. Tears started brewing that threatened to release should he open his mouth.

"What is it Stan?"

Stan turned back to the screen and read the text out loud.

"You best make sure you're out the house in 10 minutes. Those bastards are gonna burn"

Kyle's breath caught in his throat. Stan simply repeated his question.

"Kenny… who sent this? Who is "KV"? What happened!?"

Silence. Kyle joined in with questions.

"Kenny it's ok. You can tell us. I'm sure there's a reason you didn't say anything earlier but you obviously want to know. Who's "KV"? What happened?"

"It's… Kevin."

* * *

_"Kevin, what the fuck are you doing!"_

_"I'm ending it Ken… I'm ending it all!"_

_"You're gonna kill them, why?!"_

_"You don't understand Ken. It's me or them. That's what they said. Me or them. I'm not going to let them hurt me or anyone else anymore!"_

_"What the fuck Kevin! This isn't gonna solve anything. You'll be in jail for the rest of your life! Prison isn't gonna treat you any better than they have. They made mistakes ok?! That's no reason to kill them!"_

_"Well it's too late. They aren't getting out of that bedroom! The house will be ash before they even come up from the drugs. They will be ash before they know anything!"_

_Kenny heard a scream from the back of the house. A shrill, high scream. There was only one person he knew screamed like that. _

_"You bastard…"_

_"No… no, she wasn't supposed to be here! NO!"_

_"You best pray to God she's ok…"_

_"Kenny… do NOT mention this… you do and I'll come back for you you got me?!"_

_Even in the moment, Kenny sensed deep anger within his brother. He knew the threat was genuine, but he had higher priorities._

_"Fuck you Kevin. You die here tonight with them, but you are NOT taking her!"_

_Kenny dove into the back room and wrapped her in a blanket, holding her tight. He pulled her head close to his chest. Just as he headed to the door it collapsed in front of him. Karen let forth another scream as Kenny backed away. Through the fiery beams he spotted Kevin dash towards the kitchen door and disappear in a cloud of smoke. He turned his back and crashed out the bedroom window…_

* * *

**Yeah I went there! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO how do you like them apples?**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's been a while - longer than I normally leave it anyway. This last week has been complete shit - aside from having no desire to write I also had to help deal with my sister's place getting broken into and over 7 grand's worth of stuff being lifted. Thieving pikey cunts!**

**But life must go on, and they'll get theirs when we find anything worth following. Thankfully we know people who have ways of finding information. **

* * *

Kyle stared blankly back at the computer screen, not fully taking in the words littered across the page. He'd lost his way about half an hour ago but he was forcing himself to continue the essay. His English teacher had given him a month's extension after his mom explained the current situation to the school principle but still Kyle needed to carry on. He needed a welcome distraction. He craved to rid his mind of the past few weeks, in particular the numerous trips to the hospital. And as much as he loved his friend and would never normally think this way – he needed to try and wipe Kenny from his thoughts for a while. It was just too much to take in at the moment.

He re-read his last few paragraphs of the scene analysis of Death of a Salesman. He remembered reading the book over a month ago and remembered how incredibly hard it was to even finish reading the book. Purely because it was so boring and slow, extremely heavy on hidden messages and meaning. Truth be told, most of what he'd put in the essay was complete bullshit, but he was hoping as per usual, the teacher would read and mark the work, then give him plenty of tips and ideas to actually make the essay work. Without digesting anything he had just read he clicked "save" and closed the document, firing up his emails and Facebook in the meantime.

Kyle only got half way through the news feed before Stan popped up in the chat window

**_Stan – Hey dude  
Kyle – Hey  
Stan – You k?  
Kyle – managing, hows you?  
Stan – bout the same, trying to do some work but can't concentrate at all  
Kyle – same, I've given up with the English essay. It didn't make sense to me before all this happened  
Stan – dude, seriously, not even bothering with that essay, teacher can suck my balls  
Kyle – you gonna say that to his face?  
Stan – Fuck no! he'd probably do it!  
Kyle – HA! Like you wouldn't love that!  
Stan – sick dude, mega sick!_**

Kyle heard a quiet knock on the door. He turned and offered the knocker in. Sheepishly, Ike poked his head round the door.

"Kyle, can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Sure Ike, give me two seconds"

Kyle turned back to the screen

**_Kyle – gotta go dude, ike needs a hand. Talk soon  
Stan – no worries dude, catch you later  
Kyle – Thanks Stan. Thanks for the talk. Was nice to escape for a few minutes  
Stan – Likewise. Sweet dreams_**

Kyle shut the computer down and scooted the chair over to the bed where Ike had taken a seat. He was leaning back on his elbows but his face looked anything but relaxed. He looked tired, drained – a similar face that Kyle had been wearing for the past few days. Kyle pulled up in front of him and laid his hands on the boy's knees, giving them a comforting squeeze and offering a smile when Ike's gaze met his.

"What's up dude?"

Ike took a breath and thought about what he was about to say. He started the conversation out slowly.

"Do you know how Kenny is doing?"

"Last I heard he was making progress, but he'll be in for a while. I'm hoping he'll be out in time for the funeral, but I have no idea."

"I hope so too. Karen really needs him right now."

"Yeah, I think he knows that though. That's why he is doing well. He's hanging on for her no doubt about it."

"Kyle, I need… I think I need some help?"

"Well, I'm here dude, what do you need?"

"It's kinda… well, it's about Karen…"

"Oh? Oh really?!"

Kyle couldn't help but smirk at his little brother. The way he said it, and the way he averted his eyes when he did. Without making too many assumptions, Kyle could swear he knew what he was about to be dealing with.

"No! It's not like that! Well… not entirely anyway…"

Kyle's smile grew with each word.

"If I didn't know any better Ike, I'd say you had a little…"

"Don't say it!"

"Ike, it's ok. Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"No, not exactly. Well it kind of links in I suppose. But I need to know how to help her really. She keeps crying all the time. She's not getting much sleep or eating properly and I'm worried. I don't know how to get her to eat or sleep."

"Jeez Ike, I'm not sure if I have the answer to that. Stan might be a better person to talk to, he's been in a relationship much longer than me. And Bebe doesn't give me anywhere near as much hassle as Wendy does to Stan."

They both had a chuckle at that. Ike dipped his head afterward though and it gave Kyle a slight pan of guilt that he couldn't be of any help.

"Listen Ike, that best advice I could give you is talk to her. Let her know that you're there for her if she needs anything. I don't think it's best to mention that she needs to eat and sleep properly yet, but if she knows that you're looking out for her then she may just start getting better knowing that. If not then we can look at approaching the other things. Just give her a hug and tell her if she needs anything, or anyone to talk to or let off some steam with then you're her man. Maybe it might be an idea this weekend to make her some breakfast and tell her then. That way you're reassuring her and trying to get her to eat something at the same time. That may just work."

"I'll give it a go. Thanks Kyle"

Ike leaned forward and hugged the teen, who in turn rubbed the youngsters back before leading him out and closing the door behind him.

Kyle smirked to himself again as he turned back to his computer and fired it up. Within 5 minutes he was back on Facebook and thankfully Stan was still online

**_Kyle – dude, weird moment with my brother just now  
Stan – go on…  
Kyle – I'm pretty sure he has a crush on Karen!  
Stan – aw bless him! Wonder how Kenny would take that?!  
Kyle – probably be ok, but I reckon Ike would get a "you hurt her I kill you" kind of speech  
Stan – HA! Definitely  
Kyle – He asked me what to do with her crying all the time though. Apparently she's not sleeping or eating properly either. I said to ask you for advice…  
Stan – oh great! Wtf do I know about it  
Kyle – I said your more used to dealing with problems a la Wendy than I am with Bebe  
Stan – smooth dude, real smooth!  
Kyle – I know! I was quite proud of that advice lol_**

Stan and Kyle shared another 5 minutes of back and forth before exchanging goodnights and signing off for the night. In the silence that followed the computer shutting off Kyle heard faint sobs from the next room

* * *

"You'll have to stay away for a while soon Kenny. You need to lay your parents to rest you know. Karen will need you there."

"I can't help ending up here you know? It's not by choice!"

"I know. But you can at least try a bit harder can't you?"

Kenny turned his back in an attempt to hide his anger from whatever was talking to him. It really wasn't his fault, and he hated the judgemental tone being forced upon him.

"Why did he do it?"

"You know the answer to that Kenny. And you also know that deep down if you were in his position you would have at least thought about doing the same thing."

"I have more respect for human life than that. I also know that Karen has bigger needs than my emotions. Why couldn't he realise that?"

"He was hurt beyond belief Kenny. It doesn't justify his actions but it gives a reason for them. He had a lot of demons battling inside him, and he didn't have any support from anyone."

"That was his choice. He ran away from it. He didn't give anyone the chance!"

"True."

"But…?"

"No but. It's the truth Kenny. I've said this before – I'm not opinionated. I just put out thoughts and ideas. I don't take sides. I'm here to help, but I'm not here to dodge the obvious."

"I don't know what to do…"

"Wake up. Fight. Return to her and move forward as best you can. You have what he didn't. You have friends. You have support. You will get through this."

"I don't know how."

"Don't worry about it. Things will work themselves out. Give them time. I'm sending you back. Think about it ok?"

Kenny's eyes rolled back in his head, his breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat. Before he knew it his chest was on fire, and his eyes adjusted at the defibrillator in front of his face.

"He's back!"

He rolled over onto his side and unloaded the contents of his stomach all over the floor. Grasping at the covers he started coughing and dry heaving in between sucking back tears that had started to flow.

"Where's Karen… I want to see her!"

"Kenny, stay calm, you went under again for a while. We'll call your friends and let them know, they'll come ok? But for now just take some deep breaths and relax ok?"

"I need her…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok this is starting to feel like it's all just filler chapters. Is this worth the read? I have got plot points and some direction, but I'm not 100% sure how to get to them. I do want to keep putting in a lot of detail and hopefully it is all at least showing character interaction and is actually moving forward.**

**would this be better if it progressed faster? I'm considering picking up the pace, but I don't want to move too far too fast. I simply don't know... help!**

* * *

Almost two weeks had past, but still life felt it was playing in slow motion. Kyle sat in the councillors office watching the fan blades swirl in front of him, trying to count the rotations as he waited for his appointment. He'd gotten used to the fact that he was missing the bus ride home with people he used to call friends. He'd gotten used to the fact that the reason he was here was because of his complete disinterest in life itself. He'd accepted that most people had given up trying to help him, and although he knew it was his own doing, he still felt such abandonment. With the exception of his family there was only one person left that was willing to stick by him and that was Stan

Stan initially came with Kyle to his sessions, but after the first two he started to regress himself – it was like turning 10 all over again, and after explaining this to Kyle he excused himself from the sessions without too much drama. Kyle had a greater realisation of how his actions were affecting his friends – much more than Stan did back then. Still he couldn't help but feel incredibly lonely at the moment.

The session ended that way it always did – with Kyle being no better off than before. His current mind-set made it impossible to listen to most people, hence his grades had slipped and his behaviour had curved down. He could admit that Kenny's current situation was the main reason but he had no idea how to pull himself out of it. Neither did Stan.

Kyle picked his phone out of his pocket and shot a quick text to his mom.

**_Heading to Stan's, need to offload. I'll be back before 10 x_**

With the weight on his shoulders he began a slow, emotionless walk to Stan's house. He made a point to walk the longest way round so as to avoid the devastated shack but still gazed in its general direction. If he had sucked it up and taken that road he may have found some answers…

* * *

"I'll get it!"

Stan dropped the brush in the tray and pulled the plastic back from the door, heading towards the stairs. He rubbed and stretched out his right shoulder as he descended the stairs and grabbed the handle, pulling the door open. His gaze was met by a very sorry looking redhead.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure dude, what's up?"

"I just… I dunno really. I'm just really no feeling things at the moment. I know I should man up and get on with life but I just don't know how."

"I know that feeling…"

The pair shared a silence before Stan made his way to the kitchen.

"You want anything to eat or drink?"

"No thanks, not really feeling it right now."

"Understandable – just don't make a habit of that ok?"

Stan returned with some leftover dinner in a bowl and shovelled a few spoons in before he spoke again.

"It's in the fridge if you want some later. Now in the meantime why don't you come and help me. Take your mind off things?"

"What you up to?"

"Come see…"

Kyle followed him upstairs and along to Shelley's room. A plastic sheet hid the entrance and a faint smell of fresh paint filled the hallway. Stan pulled the plastic back and offered Kyle in.

"Be careful of the edges, they're still a bit tacky at the moment."

Shelley's room was unrecognisable. Kyle had only been in here once or twice but it certainly wasn't a teenage girl's room anymore. The walls were a soft cream colour, the carpet replaced by wooden floorboards. New curtains hung at the window and flat-packed furniture littered the floor.

"What's happening in here then?"

"I guess you haven't talked to your parents in a couple of days then?"

Stan took a seat on the floor and Kyle followed suit, resting up against a makeshift dresser as Stan explained.

"The hospital called my mom and let her know that Kenny would probably be out in a couple of days. He's doing really well. I know you haven't been in a while but I think it might be good if you went and saw him, it might cheer you up a bit. Anyway, long story short my mom talked to your mom and agreed that Karen could stay at yours for the foreseeable future but there wasn't really room for Kenny. As Shelley is off at university my mom said that Kenny would stay here, so we're getting rid of the girly shit and making it a bit more male friendly. Both our parents chipped in for the furniture and shit, as well as extra stuff for Karen at yours. I need to get all the flat pack assembled by tomorrow night, and you know me and instructions. I was actually gonna text you to ask you to get round here and save me from putting this shit through the window. It's driving me crazy!"

"You never were any good at this shit!"

Stan gave Kyle a friendly punch on the arm and the two took a moment to laugh. Kyle grabbed the nearest set of instructions and set about organising the necessary parts together for the bed. Most important part first apparently. Within 20 minutes the bed was up and the boys had set upon talking the wardrobe. As they started tightening the bolts Sharon poked her head in.

"Oh my you boys have been busy! Good to see you Kyle."

"Hi Sharon"

"Shelley's old mattress is still in the garage, I'll get your father to bring it up in a bit. Anything you boys need in the meantime?"

Kyle hurried to answer but Stan interrupted quickly, asking his mom to throw a pizza in the oven. Kyle didn't have a choice, and as he'd sort of asked Stan for help he couldn't really complain. Just then Kyle's phone buzzed.

**_Lil Bro – mom says it's cool if you wanna stay at Stans tonight but can you be back tomorrow? We got some stuff for Karen and dads still on business. I can't do it on my own!_**

Kyle smiled and shot a quick text back

**_I might be back tonight, I can help then as well as tomorrow_**

Kyle laid his phone back on the floor and cast his eye's towards Stan's questioning gaze.

"Ike – he want's help with Karen's stuff. If I didn't know any better I'd say he's tried to put the stuff up at home to try and impress her but he's got a bit stuck."

"It's sweet in a sickening kind of way I suppose"

"Hey! It's no different to how you were with Wendy back in 3rd grade!"

"Touchez…"

**_Lil Bro – you won't be back tonight, it's gone 11. See you tomorrow_**

"Fuck… didn't realise the time dude! I gotta get back…"

"You not staying here dude? My mom thought so, she set you a bed up in my room…"

"Dude, you guys are too good to me."

"Kyle, you're my best friend… what did you expect?"

Kyle let his head fall slightly. In truth he did kind of expect this to happen. Still, in his current state of mind he didn't consider people doing too much for him. God depression sucks. He felt Stan's eyes move from him to the window and in the short solace he let a tear fall. Then another. Then…

"What's wrong with me Stan? Why am I being such a fucktard at the moment?"

Stan didn't say a word. Instead he moved next to his best friend and held him close. He allowed Kyle to cry softly into his shoulder as he stroked his hair.

"Let's go get some sleep. Tomorrow's Saturday, we'll laze about a bit, go see Kenny, finish all this off and chill to some video games in the evening yeah?"

"Thanks Stan. You're too good a friend…"

Stan simply laughed it off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Still very meh at the moment. why is the start of every year so shit! and Why is there nothing but bollocks in my brain for this story now! **

**read, review, criticise, rip apart, throw hate etc whatever fuck you :)**

* * *

Stan woke slowly and groaned as his eyes were invaded with harsh sunlight. He tried to cover it with his duvet but thanks to his mother's recent shopping excursion his cover was now too thin to shield him. Within 5 minutes he gave up and slid his way from under the covers. He took a quick look over at his sleeping friend and let a smile creep over his face as he left the room for the comfort of a hot shower. On returning to his room he was greeted by the sight of Kyle trying desperately to smuggle his body back into clothes quickly. Stan couldn't help but chuckle. They'd been naked around each other plenty of times but Kyle was still very shy about it.

"Dude, what are you? Like 12 or something? You have a dick, I have a dick – both the same. Granted mine is mammoth in comparison…"

"Fuck you man!"

Kyle fumbled the covers back round him, admitting defeat with the now tangled underwear. Stan was less than modest, opting instead to drop the towel as he headed to his drawer to start getting dressed.

"Spare towels in the usual spot dude. Go take a shower then get yourself ready sharpish. I'll be downstairs when you're done."

Kyle waited until he was sure Stan was out of the room and not coming back before relaxing and easing himself out of the camp bed. Over the past week he'd stayed at Stan's maybe 5 times, still he couldn't get used to the awkward thin mattress on the thin wire frame. He stood and stretched, allowing the covers to drop and revealing the traditional morning boner that had been the real reason for his earlier reluctance to bear all. Grabbing the spare towel from Stan's closet he wrapped himself up and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

The teens sat in an atmospheric silence in the car – Stan up front, Kyle in the back alongside Ike and Karen. No-one dared to say a word. Even Sharon wasn't her normal conversationalist today. The mood lowered even further as they pulled into the church car park.

Ike held Karen's hand throughout the whole service. Kyle held Stan's.

No jokes from the other classmates today. No snide comments or derogatory terms. Everyone in the hall – including Cartman – knew better. They all knew now was most certainly not the time.

Due to the injuries they sustained they both had closed caskets. Still as the vicar read a small passage written by Karen, she walked over to both coffins and reached a hand out to rest on the chrome runners and shed a few tears. Despite the environment they all grew up in they were still her parents. You only get one set of parents – even if you're dealt a shit hand they are still the only ones. And they had been ripped from her. Sure they weren't exactly role models but at least they were stable to a degree.

The vicar finished the reading and turned towards Karen. She remained still. He thought about it for a moment but decided to leave her there while he continued on with the service.

As the vicar took a pause to offer out a silent prayer, the church doors creaked open. All eyes turned to meet the late arrival and faces began smiling with sympathy as he limped down the aisle on crutches. Not a word was spoken as he made his way over to the coffins, halting behind Karen who turned and took a few seconds to take in the loving face of her brother. She squeezed him in a hug before returning to her seat. He remained hovering over the memorial pictures in front of his resting parents. The vicar approached him slowly.

"You're very brave for being here Kenny. I know your parent's would appreciate it. You can stay here while I finish if you like."

Kenny not only stayed while the service finished, but also cast one of his crutches aside to become a pall bearer to his mother. Keeping his head held high and his face determined he walked her to her final resting place.

After the service most of the adults started to disperse, leaving the teenagers to talk amongst themselves. Stan and Kyle stood with Wendy and Bebe respectively on their arms, while talking with Cartman, Butters, Jimmy, Clyde and Red. A few other classmates stood in a similar group a few feet away. Everyone grew silent as a lonely figure made his way back from the grave site.

"Thanks for coming everyone. I really appreciate it…"

"Well po' boy, we're protecting our investment! We all paid to send them off and I for one want my money's worth!"

"CARTMAN!"

Stan and Kyle screamed in unison before Kenny let forth a chuckle.

"It's ok guys, in a way I'd prefer to have things be as normal as possible – even if that does mean Cartman is a fat waste of air."

"Eh! Just because you have to buy your own pop tarts now don't take it out on me!"

The crowd was silenced. No-one knew quite what to say, whether this was actually ok given the situation at the moment. Cartman adjusted his tone and carried on.

"Seriously though, everyone in town did chip in for this. Not just cos your poor either, but your folks did deserve a proper send off. Plus I organised the wake…"

"What? At KFC? Or Casa Bonita? Lard ass!"

"What's wrong with that? You'll love the cliff diving!"

Everyone let forward a small chuckle at Cartman's remarks. Thankfully he had toned things down a little after the first few comments. Kenny didn't seem to mind any of it though. It was nice to have a bit of old back and forth. The remaining teens started to make their way towards the cars. Just as he was about to leave Kenny caught a glimpse of Ike and Karen walking behind Stan.

"Ike…"

The youngster turned to meet Kenny's eyes and dropped Karen's hand, causing her to turn as well.

"Can I have a quick word?"

Ike took a quick look for Kyle but he was involved with Bebe. Kenny caught on quickly though and called Kyle's way.

"Go with Kyle Karen. Ike and I will be 2 minutes ok?"

Reluctantly Karen agreed and left Ike looking towards the ground, unsure of what was about to happen. He knew it was going to be about her though and truth be told he was a little embarrassed about the possible conversation.

"How's she doing?"

"She's coping. She's eating better and she sleeps through the night without crying now. She misses you though, and she misses your parents. She talks about you a lot."

"Glad to hear she's doing well though. No doubt that's your doing?"

"I'm trying to help. I don't think I'm doing a great job though…"

"You're doing perfect dude."

Ike smiled and let forth a sighed laugh at Kenny's words. Kenny took a seat at a nearby bench and offered the seat next to him to Ike.

"Listen, Ike, I'm not going to beat around the bush. I've seen the way you are around her, and how she is with you, and I think it's really nice."

Ike looked up at Kenny with surprise in his eyes. Kenny simply laughed it off.

"Dude, I may have been laid up for a while but I still have eyes! Plus Kyle's mentioned a few things and I can put two and two together fairly easily. It's nice that Karen has someone else to go to at the moment. I'd love to be there for her but I just can't do it properly at the moment. Will you promise me that you'll take care of her?"

"Of course I will!"

Kenny laughed again at the boy's enthusiasm. Young love is such a precious thing to see.

"It's a big responsibility Ike, but I can't think of a better person for Karen to have by her side than you. Just make sure she's as happy as possible ok?"

"Ok"

"And you best not upset her… you hurt her and I'll break your legs you got it?"

Ike looked up in horror for a moment, until Kenny couldn't hide his smirk any more, and both boys shared a laugh.

"Funny, Kyle said you'd say that. I didn't think he was serious!"

"I think you've seen the lengths I'll go to to protect her. Be in no doubt, I would die for that girl. But I trust you, and I think you'll be good for her. No funny business though!"

"I know better than to cross you!"

"Ok. So, on to more important things. Let's get to this wake and down a few drinks for my parents – just don't tell yours!"


End file.
